Slow gettin' back in the saddle again. One thing that's public knowledge
by now is that Tom Carson, Kit Rachlis, and Jeff Salamon have edited a
festschrift for Robert Christgau's 60th birthday, called Don't Stop
'Til You Get Enough. I wrote a short piece for this, called
"A Rock & Roll Critic Is Something
to Be".

I want to start a second record rating/review list, to cover backlist
records (not in the Phoenix/Austin roundup below):

Talk Normal: The Laurie Anderson Anthology (1982-95,
Rhino 2CD). A useful condensation, I think, although everything she
did, at least up through Strange Angels, holds up as well
(or better) on its own. A-

Johnny Cash: American III: Solitary Man (2000, Sony).
He's a great singer, and Rick Rubin provides nice clean arrangements.
Still, this is the least attractive of the series, probably because
the songs are running out. B

Cee-Lo: Cee-Lo Green and His Perfect Imperfections
(2002, Arista). A

Kasey Chambers: Barricades and Brick Walls (2002,
Warner Bros.). Sounds a bit like the Iris DeMent of Australia:
"If you're not pissed off at the world/Then you're just not paying
attention." Not as sharp a thinker, but damn near as arresting
vocally. A-

Cornershop: Handcream for a Generation (2002, Beggars
Banquet). A

Donna the Buffalo: Positive Friction (2000, Sugar Hill).
A pretty good country-rock band, without a distinctive voice or
an intriguing concept. B

Missy Elliott: Miss E . . . So Addictive (2001,
Gold Mine/Elektra). She's arrived more as an impressario than as a
singer, but she's got songs, three of which I like even better than
"Get Ur Freak On" (the consensus single-of-the-year); more memorable
still is Busta Rhymes' "the shit that's so addictive" rant. Flawed,
but great often enough to register. A-

Einstürzende Neubauten: Strategies Against Architecture
(1980-83, Mute). Reputed to be a classic of the "industrial" music
genre, like many music concepts it is more interesting to read about
than to actually listen to. I can handle the clatter, just can't
discern the direction. So, provisionally: B-

Duke Ellington/Mahalia Jackson: Black, Brown and Beige
(1958, Columbia). Tough sledding: the 23rd Psalm has never sounded
like music to me, and Ellington's suite is similarly slowed down by
Jackson's ponderous vocals. B-

Ghostface Killah: Bulletproof Wallets (2001, Epic).
Probably need to go back to the old shit now that this one has
connected: the music works hard, the cuts form coherent stories,
and the annoying skits have been cut to the bone. A-

Handsome Family: Twilight (2001, Carrot Top). Such an
affectless singer, it takes several passes to zoom in on just how
weird he gets. B+

The Highlife Allstars: Sankofa (2001, Network).
The most consistently grooveful African album of the year.
A

Marian McPartland: Personal Choice (1982, Concord).
One of the great jazz pianists of our era, but just a typical (i.e.,
perfectly fine) session. B+

Thelonious Monk: Plays Duke Ellington (1955, Riverside
OJC). If Basie was the pianist distinguished by the notes he left out,
Monk was the pianist distinguished by the notes he misplaced. His own
compositions were built around such misplacements, and with horns he
could orchestrate them into marvelously unexpected concoctions. But
Monk was never much of a pianist; his greatness was conceptual, but
his execution was rarely more than suggestive. Ellington, on the other
hand, always put everything in its right place, and fleshed it out
with a lushness that Monk couldn't commit to even if he wanted to.
The juxtaposition is abstract; in effect, it is deconstruction before
its time, interesting in spots but never compelling. B

Bonnie Raitt: Takin' My Time (1973, Warner Bros.)
I'm pretty sure I had this on LP, but couldn't recall enough to
offer a grade. I got to Raitt too late (I think Home Plate
was my first) to be blown away by her freshness, and now I'm too
jaded to fall for her roots moves. This has flashes of both --
the best songs would fit just fine on the earlier (and I now think
definitive) Give It Up -- but feels forced together. For
example, the closer "Guilty" is fine pro forma roots, but we know
better, don't we? A-

Silkworm: Developer (1997, Matador). Amerindie rock band
with a heavy VU debt, they sound good as background, don't sound bad
when you bother to listen a bit. They have eight or nine albums; this
is the only one I've heard. B+

The Standells: The Best of the Standells (1965-68, Rhino).
With only one hit, that leaves a lot of filler. As filler goes, this
rocks with an appealing mid-sixties stolidity. B+

Stray Cats: Blast Off (1989, EMI America). Rockabilly
revivalism, sharply produced by Dave Edmunds. I should be a sucker
for such, but this one hardly moves me. What gives? B

Them (1964-65, London). Van Morrison, in his grunge
period. A-

James Blood Ulmer: Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions
(2001, Label M). Probably his most conventional blues album, the
neoclassicism embedded in an unusually sharp mix. But often as
not the retreaded classics remind you that what was so great
about Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, et al., wasn't the sharp mix.
B+

Muddy Waters: The Lost Tapes (1970, Blind Pig);
Muddy Waters: Mojo: The Very Best of Muddy Waters Live
(1971-76, Music Club). Two slices of late (but pre-Hard Again)
Muddy, pretty much interchangeable. The Blind Pig session is smoother,
a bit more authoritative; the Music Club dates are hotter (especially
the earlier, sequenced to climax). B+, B+

Got back from road trip last night. 16 days, 4853 miles: Wichita KS,
Tucumcari NM, Flagstaff AZ, Sunset Crater / Wupataki / Marble Canyon,
Panguitch UT, Bryce Canyon / Zion, Las Vegas NV, Death Valley / Joshua Treee,
Phoenix AZ, El Paso TX, Davis Mountains / Big Bend, Austin TX, Oklahoma
City OK, Wichita KS. Good weather (except for that cloud over Fort Worth),
great scenery, fabulous trip. Felt good for just about the first time this
year. But as a working trip it failed severely: I only turned the computer
on once, after I had dropped it, and the only thing I wrote was a short
paragraph on a scratch of paper somewhere. So, while it's still semifresh,
I'll try to retrospectively assemble a notebook here.

Picked up a few records in Phoenix / Austin / Oklahoma City. I'll list
them in this entry (may be historically interesting, or maybe just evidence
of derangement), and as I sort them out will add grades / comments.

Thomas Anderson: Bolide (1998, Red River). A-

Atmosphere: Overcast! (1997, Rhymesayers). A-

Franck Avitable: Right Time (2000, Dreyfus).

Ginger Baker and the DJQ20: Coward of the County (1998,
Atlantic). Unlike Baker's other jazz records, this isn't a showcase
for his drumming: it's an ensemble that he anchors. Nice music, at
when it's just the DJQ20; when guest James Carter cranks up it is
a good deal more than nice. B+

The Drifters: All-Time Greatest Hits & More (1959-65,
Atlantic 2CD). The second of two 1988-released 2CD sets that brought
the polymorphuous Drifters into the CD era, it's been superseded by
the single CD The Very Best of the Drifters, an easy A+. This
one has filler, which given the group's gestalt isn't as interesting
or fun as the cuts that fluffed up 50 Coastin' Classics, but
there are no clinkers either: slick, professional post-doowop. A

Dungeon Family: Even in Darkness (2001, Arista). B+

Kahil El'Zabar/Billy Bang: Spirits Entering (2001, Delmark).

Graewe/Reijseger/Hemingway: Saturn Cycle (1994, Music
& Arts). Reijseger's cello is a stronger lead instrument than your
basic bass, which makes this avant-jazz trio a more equitable community.
But Graewe's sharp, measured keyboard work invariably triumphs over the
clamor, in one of the most invigorating, enticing trios I've heard.
A-

Freddie Hubbard: Open Sesame (1960, Blue Note).

Idlewild: Hope Is Important (1999, Odeon).

In Griot Time: String Music From Mali (2000, Sterns
Africa). A-

Jay-Z: Unplugged (2001, Def Jam). B+

Johnny King: Notes From the Underground (1995, Enja).

Kruder Dorfmeister: The K&D Sessions (1998, !K7).
A-

Lady Saw: Raw: The Best of Lady Saw (1998, VP). A bit
pinched, and more monochromatic than one would hope. B

The Very Best of Ella Mae Morse (1942-57, Collectables).
One of Nick Tosches' "Unsung Heroes of Rock and Roll"; what made her
unsung was the mediocre big bands she sang in front of. B

Greg Osby: Symbols of Light (A Solution) (2001, Blue Note).
An arty, ambitious romp, with the estimable Jason Moran on piano, and
a string quartet for good measure. I can't say that I like it much,
but when I think back on Osby's long string of B records, at
least this one is different. B

Panthalassa: The Remixes (1999, Columbia). B+

Michel Petrucciani: Solo Live (1999, Dreyfus).

Don Pullen: Tomorrow's Parties (1976-77, Koch).
A funk/fusion album, not what I expected, even with a lineup which
includes Randy Brecker. Pullen's electronic keyb work is not just
funky, it's awesome. But after having established its groove, it
throws you a straight change I could do without. B+

Sun Ra: Pathways to Unknown Worlds/Friendly Love (1973-75,
Evidence). Reissue combines a couple of those strange, noodling albums
that Sun Ra occasionally indulged in. Too amelodic to be atmospheric,
too arhythmic to be enchanting, nonetheless nowhere near unlistenable,
nor even especially difficult. I'm half tempted to rate it higher,
but not inspired enough to sort out its pecking order amidst all
the other strange, noodling albums he churned out (or even the
smattering that I happen to have). B

Dave Stryker Quartet: Blue Degrees (1992, Steeplechase).
Another tenor/organ record, pretty good one in fact with Goldings on
organ and the always-impressive Rick Margitza on tenor. Stryker strums
along. B+

Taraf de Haïdouks: Band of Gypsies (2001, Nonesuch).
B+

Totally Hits (1998, Arista).

The Vandermark 5: Acoustic Machine (2001, Atavistic).
Despite some rough spots, this is a pretty convincing, occasionally
inspired avant-garde romp. Like Target or Flag, the pieces
are conceived as dedications, and vary accordingly -- the one for
Stan Getz is appropriately lyrical, the one for Archie Shepp is
strident and nasty. A-

Waco Brothers: Electric Waco Chair (2000, Bloodshot).
Loved their first (most countryish) album, but after three relative
disappointments, I figured I'd at least wait for used. Waited a long
time, in fact. This one isn't so countryish either, but it rocks
hard, and the voice and tone are Amerindie heaven. Good work. A-

Dinah Washington: The Best in Blues (1943-53, Verve).

The White Stripes: White Blood Cells (2001, Sympathy for
the Record Industry). Last year's consensus indie rock of the year.
A-

Tex Williams: On the Air (1947-49, Country Routes).
Leans heavy on the Bob Wills songbook. In fact, almost everything
that registers comes from Wills, which makes me a bit suspicious. B

Las Vegas NV. We hit the bookstore for the latest news, then
headed toward Henderson to see my uncle, Bob and Nellie Hull. Went
to a new casino in Henderson for the buffet spread, which was as
impressive as I've ever seen: chinese, mexican, italian, something
more/less american, lots of dessert options. Bob explained that
they seem to rotate their good chefs throught the new casinos, so
this one is the best in the neighborhood right now. Laura and
Nellie went off to do some gambling, but that didn't last long.
Then the four of us drove downtown. Laura and I did the deed,
with Bob and Nellie as our witnesses. We went back to drop them
off, then started to head out, but we were indecisive about where
to. Thought about staying in a casino hotel, but no vacancy. Went
to a Persian restaurant, then walked out when the menu had nothing
interesting on it. Went to the Chinatown mall, and wound up with
a mediocre dinner. Wound up in the same motel as last night.